The Political Engagement: Episode 1
by X-File Writer
Summary: Sam plays matchmaker on a new reality TV show. The two members of the White House staff he sets up will get a night they--and millions of viewers--will never forget. **BRAND NEW Mini Scene: Thank God for Reality T.V.** (Surprise! I FINALLY wrote more!)
1. Scene 1: Smile! You're on reality TV!

The Political Engagement ****

The Political Engagement

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Episode 1

Created by: The Writer

Spoilers: I'm not sure, but it's Pre _Two Cathedrals._

Aires: Fridays 9:00 PM Central Standard Time (**NOT literally, **but we can pretend.)

Rating: PG TV

Starring: Joshua Lyman, Donnatella Moss, and other West Wing Characters

Author's Note: Of course, this isn't a real show and it won't actually be on TV. _EW, CSPAN, _and the _West Wing_ characters do not belong to me. Please restrain yourselves from suing. Thank you. ~READ AND REVIEW~

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EW raves—"This new reality show is a must see, even for the most wary TV viewer…an intriguing blend of your generic dating show and CSPAN…gives the watcher a feeling that he or she personally knows people from inside the White House. We give it two thumbs up!"

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On TV

It was nighttime and a cool breeze rustled the lawn. The camera zoomed in on the White House and then a voice from off-screen began to speak, "Greetings and welcome to the first episode of _The Political Engagement. _Don't even bother changing the television station for the next hour, because you won't find anything more interesting than this." 

The voice was that of a male, with deep, rich tones; he continued, "_The Political Engagement _is a breakthrough show that lets you get a close look into the private lives of the people who spend their days in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and their nights out on the town…"

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In the White House

Leo sat in the Viewing Room with many other members of the West Wing staff. Around mouthfuls of popcorn he laughed, "Where do they get this stuff, 'their nights out on the town'? I'm lucky if I get out of here before midnight!"

C.J., who was reclined on a couch, stretched her long legs and asked, "Okay. Does anyone know who was roped into going on this inconceivably pointless show?"

"It's not inconceivably pointless for people who don't have to work here," exclaimed Sam, walking into the room and closing the door.

C.J. turned on him; "Do you hear yourself, Sam? Come on! All these reality shows are just so people can get their fifteen minutes of fame! Who even has time to sit around and watch these things?"

"Tonight, we do," said Charlie, earning a glare from the Press Secretary. "I can confirm that the President is not on this show, but _he _thought the idea was intriguing. In fact, he wanted me to tape it so he can watch it once he gets back from Indiana."

Toby turned around in his seat. He asked slowly, "Sam…are you wearing makeup?"

The Deputy Communication's Director gingerly touched his face. He feigned stupidity; "Well…will you look at that."

C.J. rolled her eyes. "Sam! Don't tell me you were suckered into being set up on a blind date—

Ainsley jumped up, a Hershey's Kiss still in her hand, "What a minute…you are—

"No! No!" He held his hands up in the air. "I'm not the one getting set up! Jeez." Sam sat down on one of the loveseats and picked up a bag of pretzels. "The producers of the show sent us a fax a few days ago asking for a volunteer matchmaker. So…"

"You set two of us up?" Ainsley squealed, sitting down next to him. She grabbed his tie. "Tell me! Who did you set up?"

Sam pulled at his collar as everyone in the room turned to look at him. "Well…I'm not supposed to say…but it's nobody here."

The room began to buzz as everyone tried to figure out who they were going to see go humiliate themselves on TV. Leo took charge. He stood up, whipped out a legal pad and pen, and yelled, "Okay, people. Everyone quiet down! Now, in an orderly fashion I want everyone to call out his or her name, so we can figure out who's left. Let's start with you, Margaret…"

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On TV

The male voice explained, "Now, this is not your usual blind date. Tonight the _(soon to be)_ couple think they are just going to a normal political engagement. One doesn't even know that the other will be at the same restaurant. 

"But before you get to see them, we have a pre-recorded message from Deputy Communication's Director Samuel Seaborn. When we inquired members of the White House staff, looking for a matchmaker, Mr. Seaborn was kind enough to speak up. He explained to us that he had two co-workers in mind that would be perfect for _The Political Engagement_. Now, here's the matchmaker…"

A frantic flurry of buttons being pushed inside a local TV station resulted in the picture of Sam appearing on millions of sets across the U.S. His voice echoed through their speakers.

"Hello. As you all know, I am Sam Seaborn…Deputy Communication's Director." He shifted his feet. "I guess I'm here to talk about the people I'm setting up. Well, one I've known for about two years and the other has been a good friend since college…"

Sam jammed his hands into his pockets. He was standing outside, in front of the iron fence that surrounded the White House. It must have been around noon when Sam was filmed, because the sun bore straight down on him, causing him to squint at the screen. 

The wind gently ruffled his hair as he continued, "Joshua Lyman is Deputy Chief of Staff and Donnatella Moss is his assistant. She has helped him through more than she needed to and put up with more crap than… Well, anyway, tonight you'll get to see them in action.

"Josh, Donna, if you see this, please don't kill me… It's for your own good—everyone can see how much you guys care about each other except you. Don't worry about the press seeing this; C.J. will take care of them. So just have fun."

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Inside the White House

"Hell right I will." C.J. gave her best Cheshire cat grin at the screen.

"Could…you…help…me?" Sam begged Ainsley. Toby had him in a headlock and Leo was pacing the floor.

"It's your own grave, Sam," said Ainsley, shaking her head. She flipped her hair and left the room.

Leo muttered, "Sagittarius, Sam, Sagittarius."

This is not the time to be playing political games. What if they say something—by accident, of course—then what?"

Sam gasped, "I-I— 

"Tell me you had the sense to work with the show's writers, Sam," growled Toby.

"It's a reality show… I thought they deserved—

"It doesn't matter what you think they deserve, Sam," explained Leo. "We need to do what is best for the administration. You of all people should have thought of that… Hopefully Josh can just keep a level head…"

"Around a woman?" asked Sam. "He's always trying to melt 'em!"

"He never melted me," scoffed C.J.

"'Cause he's scared of you."

"We all are," said Toby.

"Humph."

"That's enough," Leo exclaimed firmly. "Now let's just hope this show turns out to be fairly uneventful…"

"Uneventful? With Josh on it?" laughed C.J.

"At least Donna will be there to keep him in line."

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Le Restaurant Silencieux De Rose

Josh Lyman paced the lobby of a fancy French restaurant. Every few minutes he would stop and look out through the etched glass door. His hairy was in disarray and his suit jacket was unbuttoned, so it flapped every time he moved. His tie, however, was in a Windsor knot that he pulled at every time he looked out the door and failed to see what he was looking for.

He was making his one hundred fifty-first (he'd been counting) turn by a maroon-colored armchair when he saw a flick of blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. Josh reeled at the same moment she did. He and Donna gaped at each other for a second, then they both spoke at once:

"Donna?"

"Josh?"

"What are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" 

"There was a message on my voicemail saying that I was _supposed_ to meet Senator Marino here." Josh paused to check his watch. "But he's late."

Donna adjusted her purse on her shoulder and smiled. She was dressed in jeans and a peach-colored, short sleeved shirt. "Maybe it's just you watch."

"I wish that was it." Josh sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "But according to that grandfather clock in the corner, which was probably set by Big Ben, he is _still_ late…"

"Big Ben is in London, Josh, not France. Did you know that the name 'Big Ben' doesn't actually refer to the clock tower, but the thirteen-ton bell inside?"

"Um…yeah, I knew that." The Deputy Chief of Staff turned to continue pacing. "Why _are_ you here? Dressed like _that_?" 

Donna blinked in surprise and looked down at her clothes. "What?"

Josh gestured at the carved furniture and tables covered in white cloths. "Look at this place! And you're dressed like you're going to the mall."

Her blue eyes twinkled. "Well, Josh, I _might_ be shopping if I was paid a little bit—

"_Donna_," he wined.

She folded her arms. "Fine. If you really must know why I'm here… There was a note on my desk inviting me to go get drinks."

"From who?" Josh asked, giving Donna his full attention for the first time.

"I don't know. I thought it was C.J. or Sam…"

"So the fact that you were supposed to go to a _French_ _restaurant_ for a _beer_ didn't strike you as odd?" Josh asked incredulously.

Donna hesitated. "Well…"

"They don't even _have_ a bar!" Josh exploded, causing a few lace-adorned elderly women to tisk. "They keep all the liquor in the back!"

Donna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "The fact that Senator Marino's assistant knew the number to your voicemail didn't strike you as odd?"

Josh rubbed his temples. "No…at the time it didn't seem _that_ strange—

His assistant interjected, "You know something that _is_ strange, Josh?" She followed him as he paced, checking the clock—again.

"No, what?" he asked, his mind preoccupied with worrying that he was at the wrong place.

"There's a TV crew outside," Donna explained.

"What?" Josh stared at her mouth, willing it to not repeat what he thought he heard.

"Like I said, a TV—

Josh grabbed his assistant's arm and dragged her to the door. They both gazed straight through the glass and into the lens of a camera. "Shit."

They jumped back as the door flew open. A cameraman stood in the open doorway. Josh yelled, "What is this?"

He squinted in the light of the camera as another man stepped forward, reading from a script; "Ms. Moss and Mr. Lyman, welcome. This is the first episode of _The Political Engagement_—

Donna knitted her eyebrows together. "What are you talking about?"

The man continued speaking; "—and you are now on TV…live. This show gives your average American viewer a chance to see government workers in a private setting. " 

"We're _what_? Live _now_?" Josh exploded, "This is invasion of privacy! You TV people can't expect us, as members of the White House staff, to go along with being cornered out in public…just so you viewers can 'feel closer to us'—

"Josh." Donna tugged gently on his arm.

The Deputy Chief of Staff was on a role. He shook his fist at the camera. "You can't do that!"

"Josh."

"I'm supposed to meet Senator Marino here and—

"Josh!" she yelled.

"What?" he yelled back.

"I don't think Senator Marino is coming here."

"What?" Josh repeated in confusion.

"I think it was a setup to get us both here," Donna explained calmly.

"You _what_? Why?"

"Because I saw a commercial for this show—

He cut her off, "Where?"

"On TV—

Josh shook his head, trying to comprehend what he was being told. "You watched…"

"An ad on TV—yes. Once in a great while I do have a chance to relax. You should try it some time, Joshua. This isn't a documentary show, it's…"

"What?" he demanded.

Donna wrung her hands. "A dating show."

The cameraman quietly focused on the pair as the commentator clutched his script. He took advantage of the momentary silence as Josh gaped at Donna's explanation. "We're now going to a commercial break, so we can talk to Ms. Moss and Mr. Lyman. Never fear; you'll get to spend the rest of an eventful night with this couple. We'll be right back."

The cameraman faded the shot out. "We're clear for five."

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To be continued…

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Thanks for reading this part. Please respond and keep an eye out for future installments!

Author's Note: (I know this is quite a silly idea and not my best writing, but that's what fan fiction is for, right? This is just written for fun, so I hope you find it humorous. I try to still keep the characters' idiosyncrasies fairly realistic!)


	2. Scene 2: Grape juice, Frenchmen, and Ora...

The Political Engagement: Episode 1

The Political Engagement: Episode 1

By: The Writer

Category: Josh/Donna

Rating: PG 

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Scene Two

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Le Restaurant Silencieux De Rose

As soon as the light on top of the camera flicked off the commentator shoved his script into his pocket and offered a hand to the bewildered Josh. The man, seeing that his only role in _The Political Engagement _was to speak off-screen, was dressed fairly casually in a pale-green polo shirt and khakis. 

After shaking hands with both Josh and Donna, the man explained, "My name is Arnold Joansen." He held up a hand before the Deputy Chief of Staff could speak. "Don't waste your breath yelling at me, Mr. Lyman. I'm just hired to talk; I don't run this thing. But I'll tell you one thing: you're putting on quite a show."

"We're what?" said Josh, his voice echoed a split-second later by Donna's.

Arnold smirked. "My point precisely."

His forehead a mass of lines, Josh grabbed his assistant's arm. "Come on, Donna. We have to talk about this."

Donna blinked in surprise at her boss' tone of voice, but hurried after him as the cameraman yelled, "Three minutes!"

Stopping in the narrow hallway in-between _le homes et la femmes salle de bains_, the Deputy Chief of Staff ran a hand over his face. "Donna, this…thing, I'm guessing we can't get out of it."

"It might not be so bad, Joshua," she offered with a look of hope on her face.

"_Donna_," he whined. 

"Think of it as positive publicity. It would do the American public good to see how strong a senior member of the White House staff was only a short while before telling them about the President's—

Josh spoke firmly, "No, Donna. That's what I'm afraid of. Under no circumstances will you or I utter a word that sounds remotely like 'multiple sclerosis', okay?"

Donna shook her head in agreement.

"Okay. Then we should head back out there. Oh, and, Donna?"

"Yes?"

"Let's…um," Josh pulled at his collar, "keep this a normal, professional meal between two…co-workers."

"Yeah, okay, Josh. But what else," she feigned innocent curiosity, "would it be?"

Her boss began walking back out to the entrance, gesturing wildly with his hands as he spoke, "It's a dating show, Donna. I just…we can't get carried away…I mean, we never would, but...the camera…"

Donna thought about rescuing his floundering excuse; "Uh-huh," but decided to just let Josh dig himself into the ground.

When they got back to the lobby the cameraman held up a pointer finger, signaling that there was one minute left until they went back on the air.

"You two okay with this?" Arnold asked.

"Sure. Donna and I have nothing to hide…it's just going to be a free meal."

A short man stepped in through the open doorway to hand Josh and Donna small, portable mikes that clipped to their shirts. The commentator mulled over the deputy's response and smirked as he decided the TV audience would get quite a show. Anybody who worked in the White House had something to hide…and the man pulling at his tie had _no_ poker face.

The light on the camera flickered back on and Arnold began speaking, "Hello and welcome back to _The Political Engagement_. All you viewers are in for a treat; you get to "have dinner" with Ms. Moss and Mr. Lyman. Josh, Donna, now I'm going to leave you in the care of Jacob, your cameraman, and Zack."

Zack was the stalky man who equipped the government workers with their mikes. He wore jeans and a tattered Miller Lite T-shirt. Zack was now standing to the right of the camera, out of view, holding a stack of white cue cards.

"What, you couldn't spring for the portable Teleprompter?" Josh quipped.

Arnold's eyes bugged out of his head; the producers of _The Political Engagement_ would not be happy to have their viewers learn that the reality show they were watching was partially scripted. Hoping that his contract wasn't being run through the shredder, Arnold slipped out through the door.

A young waiter appeared behind Josh and Donna. He had broad shoulders that filled his white dress shirt. The man led them to a table lit by flickering candles. Ignoring the cameraman and the cue cards, he handed the White House staff members their menus. "_J'mapple_ Francois and I'll be your waiter tonight. _Monsiuer, madame_, may I get you something to drink?"

Donna smiled brightly at the attractive Francois. She was about to speak when Josh cut her off, "A scotch on the rocks."

"Josh."

"What?"

"You're ordering _scotch_ in a _French_ restaurant?"

"Yeah. So?" Josh shrugged. "Fine. I'll have a glass of red wine."

Donna leaned close to the waiter's ear. "Just get him a glass of grape juice…he has a sensitive system." 

Francois smiled and winked at her. He spoke with a strong French accent, "My pleasure."

"Donna!" Her boss' face was bright red.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"This is national television!" Josh rubbed his forehead. "You're ruining my chances of ever getting a decent date again…" 

Donna's face fell as she tried to shrug off the feeling of rejection. She looked down at the mike. "Oh, that. Fine, Joshua, you can get drunk if you want to. I'm sure all the women out there would _love_ to see that." She turned back to Francois. "I'll take a white Zinfandel."

Josh took a deep breath and slowly released it. He leaned back in his seat. "Donna, I didn't mean it like… I'm not going to get drunk."

His assistant turned to watch the waiter walk away. "Whatever, Josh."

He laughed. "Don't tell me you're interested in that guy!"

Donna raised her eyebrows. "Who said I was interested in Francois?"

Josh pointed an accusing finger at her. "See! You used his first name _and_ you checked him out!"

"Josh! _He_ said his first name. You just weren't listening."

"He's not even from the U.S.!"

"So?"

"Probably an illegal immigrant and—

"Josh."

"What?" 

Francois leaned over the table as he set down their drinks. "Actually, _monsieur_, I am in America for just a few months in a…what do you call it? A foreign exchange course."

"For college?" Donna asked, leaning forward in interest. "_I_ actually took a semester of French…"

Sensing the foreplay of a long discussion, Josh interjected, "Thank you," and gave a dismissive nod.

Donna delicately sipped her drink. "Josh, you didn't have to do that."

"Tell me, Donnatella, how many courses did you take in college?"

"Josh—

"Why do you like the vagabond, anyway?" he inquired, trying to pretend he wasn't really interested in her answer.

"Maybe I like well-traveled men."

Josh took a large gulp of the purple liquid in his glass and made a face. "Ugh. Sparkling grape juice."

Donna stifled a laugh as Francois walked back over to their table. "May I interest you in an appetizer, _Assiette de Charcuterie_? It includes slices of _saucisson sec, andouillette_, and—

"No," Josh cut the waiter off, "let's just skip ahead to the main course."

Francois looked slightly confused, but recovered, "Why certainly, what may I get for you, sir?"

The Deputy Chief of Staff whipped open his menu. "I'll have…that." He jabbed a finger at the French words he couldn't pronounce. 

The waiter looked down at the menu. "_Agneau avec de la sauce a poivre?_"

"Yes, that."

Donna looked horrified. "Josh!"

"What?" her boss asked in surprise.

"That's lamb!"

"Yes—

"It has a face…"

Josh sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Since when did you become an animal rights activist, Donna? I'm not eating its face."

"Red meat is not healthy for you either, Joshua." She turned to Francois. "He's having _Garden Ratatouille_." 

"Garden?" Josh grumbled. "As in vegetables?"

Donna chose to ignore him. "And I'll have _Chicken Cordon Bleu_."

"_Merci_." The waiter took their menus and left.

Josh tapped his fingers against his glass. "Doesn't a chicken have a face?"

"A beak, Joshua, is a totally different thing—

"Humph. You'd think someone who was born in 'the dairy state' could appreciate a little meat…"

Donna looked straight at him and said seriously, "It's for your own good." She sighed. "But, Josh, why must you always try to ruin my dates?"

"What? With Frenchy? He's probably gay."

"He's probably romantic," she countered. "You're just trying to ruin this."

Josh gestured at the camera. "_This_? I'm not trying to ruin it."

"Are too."

"Are not… Wait a minute, why am I arguing with you? I have no reason to try to ruin a reality TV show."

"Not _that_, Joshua…_this_. You want to ruin this because it's a date and I'm on it and you have this…. This, _thing_ about me on dates," Donna explained, slamming her foot down in emphasis.

Josh winced. Her heal had smashed into his foot, instead of the carpet. She looked concerned; "Oh, Josh, I'm sorry. Was that your—

"I'm fine. And I do _not_ have a thing about you on dates," Josh exclaimed, his voice almost a whine. Donna looked at him skeptically. "Well…not about dates with _me_." He shook his head. "I mean, this isn't a _date_. It's…it's…a meal…on TV…that Leo's probably watching…"

Zack, the cue card guy, frantically waved a card around in the air, trying to get Josh's attention. The Deputy Chief of Staff looked up and silently read it: **Stop arguing!!! This is a _dating_ show! People don't want to watch other people argue; they can look around their houses and see that! Do something funny! PLEASE!**

Josh proceeded to stick his fingertips into his grape juice and flick the purple liquid at Donna. Her mouth hung open as she wiped at her shirt. "Joshua! What are you doing?"

He pointed at the cue card and explained simply, "Something funny. I would have blown a straw wrapper at you, but my _kiddie drink_ didn't come with one."

Donna turned around to see a different cue card. **Talk. Talk about something that will lighten the mood.**

Turning back to Josh, she managed to say with a straight face, "Josh. You are _so_ the Dude. Ever since I met you I thought 'He is such a macho-man,' but I was too afraid to tell you. So now I am." Unable to contain herself, Donna burst out laughing.

Josh smirked. "It was big of you to admit that, Donna, thank you." 

Jacob, the cameraman, faded out the shot. "Nice recovery, guys. We're clear for a commercial break."

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In the White House

"See, this isn't going so bad," said Sam, messaging his neck. Toby had finally let go of him with a comment that sounded something like, 'Boy that felt good; I wanted to strangle you for a long time'.

Leo paced around the room. "You're just lucky they haven't spilled anything about the President…yet."

C.J. hung up her cell phone. "Well, I just got off the phone with Carol. So far nobody has come up with a way to make Josh and Donna going out sound like a bad thing. Donna is going on her own free will, she's not a minor or an intern, and Josh is not married."

Toby sighed and rubbed his face. "So we're in the clear?"

"I didn't say that," C.J. corrected. "_So far_ the press hasn't come up with anything, that doesn't mean they won't dig up something in the next few hours. Josh hasn't said anything _too_ stupid, yet, has he?"

"He pissed Donna off," replied Sam.

"When _doesn't_ he piss someone off?" C.J. asked.

"Point taken. Do you know if Donna eats meat?"

"I think so, Sam. I don't exactly pay attention to those things. Why?"

"She wouldn't let him eat lamb."

"Who? Josh?" C.J. shoved her cell phone back into her pocket. "Good. The last thing we want next Big Block of Cheese Day is a bunch of activists running around singing _"Mary had a Little Lamb"_. Besides, duckling tastes better."

Sam's mouth hung open. "Duckling? Like those fluffy little—

"Yes, Sam, get over it. They aren't served with their feathers on. I prefer them in orange sauce and—

The Deputy Communication's Director shook his head. "That's wrong, C.J., just plain wrong."

"What? It's just a duck!"

Leo and Toby nodded in agreement. "Sam's right. Eating ducks is wrong. I mean, we need wool for clothes… But ducks, they didn't do anything wrong—

C.J. stood up and walked towards the doorway. "There're messy! We use their down." She threw the door open and yelled, "You know _why_ there aren't any kiddie songs about ducks? Because _nobody likes them!_ Jeez. I can't believe you guys!"

She stomped out and slammed the door shut. The three men looked at each other and shrugged. Sam pointed at the screen. "Hey, look, it's coming back on!"

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To be continued…

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Thanks for responding! I'm glad you guys like it so much! Please feel free to respond again—it helps the writing process—and don't forget to check for new scenes!


	3. Scene 3: Okay...and Action! Cue the Roma...

The Political Engagement: Episode 1

The Political Engagement: Episode 1

By: The Writer

Rating: PG

Note: Sorry! I know it took me a long time! I hope you find this and it was worth the wait!

Caution: It gets a little fluffy!

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Scene 3: Okay…and Action! Cue the Romance!

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Le Restaurant Silencieux De Rose

Donna stabbed her last slice of chicken with her fork and eyed Josh. He had eaten most of his vegetables, but when he couldn't swallow any more of them he pushed the remaining pieces around on his plate. The Deputy Chief of Staff had been giving her looks for the past ten minutes. "No, Josh."

He feigned innocence; "What?" 

She pulled the chicken off the fork with her teeth, chewed the morsel slowly, and licked her lips. "This is my meal," Donna pointed, "you have your own."

"Humph. If you _really_ cared you would have pity on—

She rebuked him, "Joshua Lyman, you know I care. Now eat your vegetables."

Josh closed his eyes and messaged his temples. "_Donna_…the mike."

"Oh, right."

Francois walked up to their table. "May I get you some dessert?"

Josh was about to refuse, but this time Donna cut _him_ off, "We'd love some! What do you have?"

The waiter smiled and replied, his voice thick with a French accent, "Well, _mademoiselle_, one of my personal favorites is le White Chocolate Mousse topped with fresh raspberries."

Donna smiled back. "That sounds delicious."

Josh sat back and balled up his cloth napkin as he watched Francois bow his head to Donna before hurrying off to fetch the dessert. But, for once, he didn't comment.

Donna turned back to her dinner companion with the corners of her lips still upturned. She tilted her head to the side as she viewed her boss' expression. The light bulb clicked on in her brain and made her eyes twinkle. "Josh are you…_jealous_?"

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Why? Why, after the thousands of times he'd commented on the losers she'd dated, did Donna choose _now_ to ask him such a question? It was national TV! "I didn't say anything."

"I know." She finished off her drink.

You might think a Fulbright scholar could come up with an eloquent response in a snap, right? That's not so. Josh looked at his sparkling grape juice for inspiration. 'Like the bubbles rising to the surface and bursting my soul doth long for…' No, that wasn't any good. 

Just then Francois came back, saving Josh from saying something best not revealed on national television. The French waiter set down a crystal bowl piled high with white mousse. "_Bon appetit_." 

Donna took a spoon and dug into the dessert. "It's good, Josh, try it."

"I thought you'd want to share it with Frenchy."

"Come on, Josh, I know you want some." Donna filled her spoon with mousse and held it in front of her boss' face.

Instead of eating what he was offered, Josh reached across the table and wiped a glob of the cream off of Donna's lip with a finger. He licked the mousse off of his finger. "Not bad."

Donna blushed and licked her lips. She looked up to see a cue card being waved in the air. **Feed him a raspberry**

She raised an eyebrow. "They want me to feed you, Joshua."

"What?" Josh spun around, ready to punch the cue card guy. **Feed her a raspberry**

The Deputy Chief of Staff plucked a berry off of the mousse and aimed at Donna's face. "Open up."

"Why?"

"Come on, Donna."

"Fine." 

Josh threw the raspberry at her open mouth and missed by a good six inches. Donna laughed, "Nice try." She threw one at him and he caught it. "Aim before you throw."

"I did." He squinted at her mouth, threw, and (_again_) missed. 

"I guess I just have a bigger target," said Donna, smiling.

"Funny, Donnatella, very funny."

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In the White House

C.J. walked back into the Viewing Room. "Somebody tell me why the hell I was just asked if all the White House staff members exude poor etiquette."

Sam piped up, "To their defense, I think someone off-screen is telling them what to do."

"What _are_ they doing?" C.J. demanded.

"Well, Josh was just throwing raspberries into Donna's mouth."

"You've got to be kidding me…"

Sam shook his head. "I kid you not."

C.J. raised her hands in surrender. "I don't care if the President himself is standing behind them, demanding that they throw fruit—don't they realize they're on _national television_?"

"Actually, if it was the President you _would_ care," exclaimed Charlie.

C.J. glowered. She grabbed a bag of popcorn away from Toby, ripping the bag in the process.

"Hey! I was eating that!" complained Toby.

"Don't you have something better to do?" C.J. suggested, "What about yelling at Sam?" 

The Communication's Director turned to his deputy; "Did you take that joke out of the President's speech?"

"What? The one about a buck walking into a bar and—

Toby rubbed his face. "Yes, that one."

"Come on, Toby, it's funny, they'll laugh—

"They _will not_ laugh! Half of the state hunts! They don't want to hear about some stupid deer—

"But you didn't like my last _five_ drafts!"

"'Cause, Sam, the jokes in those weren't funny, either."

Just then an intern none of them knew walked into the room, probably preventing a full-scale war. "The pile of phone messages to Donna and Mr. Lyman are overflowing my desk. Does anyone want to hold onto these two?"

"I'll take them," said Sam, grabbing the papers and scanning them. "This one's Donna's. It's from 'Jake make-'em-pay Swift' about suing Josh for sexual harassment in the workplace." He ripped it up. "And this one is to Josh, from a single 26-year-old woman who likes to wear lace and cooks to-die-for lamb chops… Someone get me a phone!" 

"Here." C.J. handed him her cell.

Sam dialed the phone and walked out of the room. "Hello? Darla?"

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****

Le Restaurant Silencieux De Ros

The waiter returned to Josh and Donna's table with a check. "Is there anything else I can get for you, _monsieur_?"

Josh gave the Frenchmen a sneaky smile that worried Donna. "May I ask you something?"

"Why certainly," said Francois.

The Deputy Chief of Staff leaned forward in his chair. "Is it true Paris is the city of love?"

Francois looked proud. "Paris is indeed a very romantic city."

"So, as a Frenchmen, would you consider yourself romantic?"

The waiter smiled at Donna; Josh could hardly contain himself as he awaited Francois' response. "Well, _monsieur_, I would."

"And as a romantic you don't pride yourself on breaking young girl's hearts?" asked Josh, causing Donna to wonder what he was up to.

Francois looked appalled. "Of course not!"

"Good man," Josh patted the waiter on the arm, "because you're only going to be here for what, another few weeks or a month? And then you'll be gone."

"Yes?" Francois looked confused.

"So, of course, you _mustn't even consider_ dating anyone while you're here…even Donna, for instance. Because you'd just end up breaking her heart when you left, and as a romantic _you_ said you would _never_ do such a thing."

"I…Well, _monsieur_…"

Josh handed the check and his credit card to the waiter. "_Merci, _Francois."

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****

Outside Le Restaurant Silencieux De Ros

Donna and Josh walked out of the restaurant, heading for their cars. Zack and Jacob, the cameraman, followed. 

"Josh!"

Her boss feigned innocence, "What?"

"I can't believe you did that!" said Donna, shaking her head at him.

Josh shrugged. "He got a tip."

"I know, Josh, but you—

"Wished him a swift trip back to France, is that a bad thing?" asked Josh with a smirk on his face. He watched as Donna unlocked her car. He reached for the handle and opened it for her. 

They both stood, awkwardly staring at each other…both constantly think about the camera filming them. Josh leaned on the open door and read the cue card. "Well…"

Donna smiled nervously. "Yeah…"

****

Kiss. Kiss!

Josh leaned down and kissed her quickly. Donna blinked in surprise and pulled back, licking her lips. "Josh!"

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "What?"

"What was that?"

Josh avoided her eyes. How many times can one be humiliated on national TV in one day? "A kiss…they wanted me to—

Donna laughed. "You call that a kiss?" She pulled him close and kissed him passionately.

Zack dropped him cue cards and muttered, "Thank god!"

Jacob faded the shot out.

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****

In the White House

There was complete and utter stunned silence as all the staffers stared at the screen.

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****

On TV

The screen slowly went black and the credits began to role. In a prerecorded voice-over, Arnold's voice boomed through millions of television speakers, "That concludes the first episode of _The Political Engagement. _Please tune in next week to see two other White House workers find love on a 'blind date'! Good night."

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The End

PLEASE RESPOND!

Note: I _told _you it was something that wouldn't ever happen! But I hope you liked it anyway!

Another Note: Keep your eyes out for _The Political Engagement: Episode 2_!Two other people get set up and this time Josh is the matchmaker! Boy, does he get revenge! (S/? and (_a little more_) J/D) 

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	4. Mini Scene: Thank God for Reality T.V.

The Political Engagement: Part One __

The Political Engagement: Part One

By: The Writer

Mini-Chapter: _Thank God for Reality T.V._

Note: This scene was supposed to be part of the much overdue sequel_, The Political Engagement: Part Two_. But, for various reasons—such as, I don't really know that much about the Ansley character—this was all that was ever written. _Sorry!_ This is a mostly pointless and slightly fluffy mini-chapter, but I hope you like it anyway! 

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The West Wing

It was exactly one week after Donna and Josh appeared on the year's new highest rated reality T.V. series, _The Political Engagement_. In fact, it was one week to the very minute—as long as you didn't check the time on Josh's watch. And he and Donna had yet to speak of the passionate kiss they had shared with the world. The fools—I mean, newly anointed celebrities—tried to continue life as if nothing had happen; as if they had spent that Friday night alone, in their own apartments, watching infomercials for pet rock incubators…don't ask. 

This is not even mentioning how entirely pointless it was for them to pretend nothing had changed. Everyone had seen the kiss. Strangers who wanted her autograph stopped Donna on the street and Josh was recognized at Starbucks. For two days C.J. was incessantly asked how employee/boss relationships were handled in the Government. Some journalists even came right out and asked questions about Josh and Donna's previous relationships. But C.J. kept her word and shot down every inquisition like a skilled markswoman. 

The Monday after the show the deputy chief of staff had returned to his office to find his desk covered in layers upon layers of phone messages. And, believe it or not, days later he had yet to clear them off. Well—until Donna took matters into her own hands. She marched into his office and said, "It's time to clear this up."

Josh paled slightly and looked up from the article he was reading. _"What?"_

Donna tried to pretend she didn't know what Josh was so worried about. She gestured to the phone messages on his desk that he had been pushing around all week. "That must go."

Josh let out the breath he was holding and nodded. With that the pair began sorting the papers. Almost a half-hour later Josh help up a phone message. "This woman will pay me fifty bucks to…Mohawk my hair with Paul Mitchel gel?" He paused, "These people are crazy, Donna!" He snatched the paper she was reading from her hand and threw it into the garbage. He then scooped the rest of the pile off of his desk.

"Hey! That was a thirty-one-year-old pediatrician looking for a down-to-earth girlfriend," Donna complained, grabbing a hold of the basket as Josh carried out of his office.

He smirked. "Donna, you're not down-to-earth—

"What?"

"He's probably a psycho looking for a new victim."

"He is _not_!" Donna stopped walking and held tightly to the basket, so that Josh couldn't leave. "Okay. The guy willing to pay $1,000 for a lock of my hair was a _bit_ strange, but Dr. Jon is probably—

"Married. He's probably married." Josh leaned closer to Donna. "I meant to ask you, when did you want to go out for our second date?"

Donna's expression softened. "Awww, Josh." And she loosened her grip on the basket, so that her boss was able to rip it out of her hands.

As Josh sprinted for the nearest paper shredder, Donna called after him, "No fair! Hey, Josh! Shouldn't you be watching Sam and Ainsley on T.V. right now instead of ruining my only chance at a social life?"

Josh slowed down to let Donna catch up to him. "The way I figure it, they'll still be on T.V. when I get home at ten. As the matchmaker I was able to convince the network to send them to an all night Chinese buffet. With the way Ainsley eats and the way Sam talks, they'll never leave."

Donna rolled her eyes. "You're awful, you know that, Josh?"

His hand brushed hers. "But that's the way you like it, isn't it, Donnatella?"

She flashed a suggestive smile. "Everyone's gone home and there aren't any cameras in this part of the West Wing…"

Josh looked at his assistant in mock-horror. "Here, Donna? At work? Out in the open?"

"I feel more secure here knowing that 30 million pairs of eyes aren't staring at me with the aid of a camera."

"Point taken."

With that Donna wrapped her arms around Josh's neck and kissed him with a greater passion than before. She pulled away and gasped, "I've been waiting all week."

Josh dropped the basket in shock, unable to speak. Donna immediately snatched up one of the papers. "Aha."

Her boss gaped. "All that for _Dr._ _I-have-a-job-where-I-work-with-kids, doesn't-that-turn-you-on_'s phone number?"

Donna's eyes twinkled. "Josh, do you know only one in twenty-five work-related relationship's succeed?"

"And how many unmarried bosses fall for their assistants?" he retorted.

She blinked in surprise. "You've fallen for me?"

"I thought you knew that."

Donna held his eyes for a moment. "But you actually _said_ it…" She suddenly turned on her heel, her blonde hair flicking him in the face. "Come, Joshua, we're missing prime television. We have to see if our favorite announcer is still employed."

Josh watched her walk away for a moment. He thought, _Thank God for reality T.V._, and then swaggered after her.

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Note: I know that might've not been what you were expecting, but I hope you liked it anyway! There's always hope I'll end up writing the rest of the sequel! Thanks.


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